Stolen Time
by KCPWrites
Summary: Falling in love with a Human is the last thing a near-immortal Mage wants to do in life. Lucky for Arthur, or maybe unlucky, life has nothing to do with it. (Also posted on ao3)
1. Prologue

Prologue

The night sky illuminated overhead, and reflected stars across the calm waters of the near by fjord. The light of the moon shone without a cloud in sight. Arthur paused against the mountain path with a hand steadying himself against the rock face, savoring the view. The crisp, cold air bit at the tip of his nose and cheeks, turning them a rose pink, highlighting the few freckles that resided on his face. A gust of wind sent the flaps of his navy blue trench coat flapping, and broke the dream-like trance between Arthur and the moon. He quickly tucked his nose beneath his scarf, and continued up the worn ancient path.

Once Arthur reached the top of his path, he was greeted with the sight of his goal. A small cabin nestled between a large boulder and a giant oak. The wooden structure looked old and warm, an orange light leaked through crimson curtains on the inside. Arthur quickened his pace until he was face-to-face with an iron door knocker in the shape of a hairy troll. From behind the door, Arthur could hear the sounds of conversation, perhaps a meal being eaten. Swallowing his nerves, he grabbed the rusted ring, and knocked three times.

The cabin stilled at his interruption. A moment passed before Arthur could hear chairs scuffing against wooden floors and hard footsteps growing louder. Arthur readjusted his scarf as locks were undone, and the door gently creaked open. The man behind the door was not what Arthur was expecting, however he wasn't unknown.

"Well, if it isn't Arthur! Finally come to visit, have you?" The man's grin would have been blinding had it been day time.

"I know, I know. It has been too long, Mathias." Arthur squeaked as the taller man pulled him into an embrace.

"Apology accepted!" Mathias held Arthur out at arms length, both hands planted firmly on his shoulders. "Man, you look exactly how I remember. Haven't changed a bit."

"I'll take that as a compliment, I suppose?" Arthur chuckled in response, "I assume that Lukas is here?"

"Oh, right." Mathias turned, removing one hand from Arthur to usher him inside. "Come on in. Luke! It's clear! Come on out!" Arthur stepped inside, and immediately felt a change in the surrounding air, almost as if he stepped foot into another world. The inside of the cabin seemed much larger, as the front door opened to a catwalk, looming above the main portion of the home located downstairs. Mathias closed the door behind them, and quickly reset the multiple locks. "Lukas should be downstairs somewhere. Right this way."  
"Thank you." Arthur dipped his head, then followed the taller blond down the intricately carved staircase. Arthur glanced around the large room, noting that not much had changed since his last visit. Many bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient looking books and jars. The walls were the same color, a pale cream with brown trim along the floors and ceiling. The couch was new, though. A good thing too, the old one had seen better days, and like Mathias had said, it had been a quite while since Arthur was last here. Another new aspect was the young boy sitting on the before mentioned new couch with a bowl of cereal. Arthur paused the the bottom of the stairs at the unexpected sight.

"That's Emil." Mathias answered Arthur's unspoken question, "He's apparently Lukas' little brother. Just appeared on our door step one day with a note, like one of those old Saturday morning cartoons. Only thing missing was the basket."

"I see." Arthur furrowed his brows at the information. He made his way over to the couch, lifting a leg to sit halfway on the couch's arm. "Hello, Emil. My name is Arthur. Nice to meet you." The boy merely stared at Arthur with large violet eyes. Cereal bowl held to his chest and spoon half way in his mouth. Unblinking. It unnerved Arthur.

"He doesn't really speak." Arthur turned back to Mathias, who was rubbing the back of his neck with a troubled expression. "And when he does, it's only to Lukas. Although I have gotten him to write things down for me before, so that's some progress, I guess..."

"He's just shy, Mat." Both adults redirected their attention to an archway which Arthur remembered as the entrance to the kitchen. There stood Lukas, a book in his hand as always. "Hello, Arthur. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Arthur stood from the couch and cleared his throat, "Right. You never were one to beat around the bush." Arthur paused to straighten out his coat, then continued. "I need your help." Emerald eyes met Sapphire in an intense stare.

"Mathias, I think it's time Emil went to bed."

"Why? We don't have anything going on tomorrow and I just got him that bowl-"

"Bed. Mathias. Now." Lukas glared at the taller man.

"Okay, okay." Mathias lifted his hands to his chest with exposed palms, "Chill. Come on, kiddo, you heard the man." Mathias removed the bowl from Emil's grasp and set it on the coffee table, then took the boy's hand and lead him back upstairs.

Once the sound of doors being opened and closed upstairs died down, Arthur broke the silence. "So. A little brother, is he?"

Lukas closed his book, then leaned against the archway with a sigh. "Apparently so. I had a DNA test done, and the results came back to be true. I don't know how, I could have sworn my parents died when I was a child myself. But that's another issue for another day." Lukas lifted himself from the wall, and gestured for Arthur to sit with him on the couch. Arthur obliged, taking the spot where Emil previously sat.

"This couch is much more firm than the last."

"Quite. Now, what do you need, Arthur?"

Arthur's smile faltered. He had grown too used to small talk in recent years, forgetting just how direct his old friend was. "Right. I need a special kind of magic." Lukas' brow quirked. "A kind that I do believe you are familiar with." Lukas glanced to the multiple magic books on his shelf, bit his lower lip, then nodded for Arthur to continue. Arthur took a deep breath, "I need something that-"

Arthur was interrupted by Mathias' loud footsteps stomping down the stairs. "Sorry, don't mind me. Kiddo wants water." Mathias disappeared around the corner into the kitchen.

Arthur sighed then continued. "I need something that will bring someone back to life." Arthur was glad that Lukas wasn't drinking anything, for the look on his face suggested that Arthur would be wearing said imaginary drink.

"Ex _cuse_ me? Arthur, you know how difficult that kind of magic is! And..." Lukas paused, gaze searching the room for something unknown, "You're basically asking to break the laws of nature."

" _Yes_. I _do_ know. I also know that you're one of the most powerful mages to walk the Earth. To the point where you need to go into hiding, living in the middle of nowhere." Arthur glared at the multiple locks on the door. Thirteen upon closer look. "It shouldn't be much of a problem for you."

A crash sounded from the kitchen, followed by a string of swearing.

"Mathias, you had better not break my favorite mug!" Lukas snapped.

"I also know that it _isn't_ a problem for you." Arthur gestured with his head towards the kitchen.

"That's different." Lukas was suddenly on the defensive. His widened eyes shifted between Arthur and the kitchen. "Mathias never died."

"Oh? I'm surprised. It isn't normal for a twenty-five year old human to remain twenty-five for over two hundred years."

Mathias entered the room almost on cue, a glass of water in hand. "Nothing broke. Promise. I uhh... Didn't think this excuse out." He trailed off, then stopped half way up the stairs. "It wasn't your mug though, Luke, I swear." He then continued to Emil's room, leaving Arthur and Lukas alone once more. Arthur looked back towards Lukas with a raised brow.

Lukas bit his lip once more, conflict written all over his face. "Okay fine, he _almost_ died. And yes, I'm keeping him alive. But that is different. Bringing someone _back_ to life? I assume this person has been dead for a while?"

"Seven years."

"Right." Lukas stood and walked over to his shelves. "Reviving someone immediately after death is possible even with mundane human medicine." His finger skimmed over dust covered titles as he spoke. "However, revival after years? That's nearly unheard of."

"Nearly?" Arthur shifted in his seat, refusing to let his excitement show.

"Nearly..." Lukas repeated. He moved onto the next shelf, coughing for a moment after brushing off a particularly dusty hardcover.

"So it can be done, correct? It's been done before?"

"Caarreeeful, Arthur. Your giddiness is showing."

Arthur slapped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment. Calm down, man. Lukas returned to the couch with an arm full of spell books. He handed one to Arthur and set the remaining stack on the table next to Emil's bowl.

"So can you do it?"

Lukas took a book for himself, opening the worn cover. "Possibly. However..." A couple pages fell out causing Lukas to click his tongue on the roof of his mouth in annoyance. "It might take a while. I'm also curious..." Lukas placed a hand on top of the book, looking back up towards Arthur. "What is so special about this dead person?"

"Well... That's a bit of a story, Lukas."


	2. Chapter 1

One Year Prior

Arthur shifted under his borrowed blankets, uncomfortably warm beneath the multiple quilts. Every night spent in this town thus far had been freezing, causing him to gather as many blankets as the small Bed&Breakfast could offer. He kicked them off with a grunt, then rolled onto his back, one pajama clad arm covering his eyes. Yet still, the unwarranted heat did not let up.

"What damn portal to hell did I walk into?" Arthur groaned, rolling back onto his side. He wiped sweat off his brow, and opened one eye to check the time. He immediately shot up right, any remaining sheets thrown away in a flurry. The walls were on fire. Orange and red flames devoured the curtains hung on the windows, and Arthur's favorite slippers were completely scorched.

"Wha-what? Bloody hell, I didn't mean that literally!" He jumped to his feet, grabbing his book off of the nightstand before it could be engulfed by the fire. He quickly flipped through the pages, then lifted a hand towards the flames.

" _Santra ba~dra winza~nana~"_

He peeked up from the worn pagesafter a few rounds of incantation, yet the flames still roared. Arthur let out a huff of annoyance, and returned to his chanting position. A few more rounds passed, and Arthur was growing impatient by the lack of results.

"Oh for the LOVE of!" Arthur stomped a foot down in agitation, flipping through the pages once more, "What is wrong with this damn thing? Is this some kind of joke?" He wiped his brow once more, then closed the book. "I'll have to have a little talk with Vladimir about that." Arthur grumbled before staring back at the flames. "FINE. Take the damn building, see if I care." He threw a hand in the air with a roll of the eyes, and started towards his bedroom door. He used his sleeve to tug on the metal door handle, flinging the wooden slab open and marching out.

The entire second floor seemed to be on fire. Arthur hurried to the stairs, but halted at the top as a sudden realization struck. The owner of the B&B and his teenage daughter lived on the third floor, and hadn't alerted him to the fire. Arthur glanced up the other set of stairs with furrowed brows. Perhaps they don't know? Maybe they're trapped? Arthur quickly changed course, rushing up to the third floor. The fire hadn't quite reached the top floor just yet, however the smoke had risen making it difficult to breathe and burned Arthur's eyes.

"Mr. Jones!?" Arthur ran from room to room, calling out for the father and daughter pair. "Amelia?!" Arthur did not receive a response from either one of them. A sense of panic set in. Where could they be? Arthur turned back around once he reached the end of the hall, the flames had made their way to the staircase, and there was still no sign of Mr. Jones or Amelia. Arthur skimmed through the rooms once more on his way back to the stairs. Perhaps they woke up early and were already downstairs? Arthur hoped this was the case, and began his descent to the second floor. He was met by even thicker smoke, coughing into his elbow as the black soot reached his lungs. He made a quick turn to the staircase leading to the ground floor. Suddenly, the stair underfoot gave way, the wood grown weak from the flames. Arthur found himself tumbling down, reaching desperately for the railings.

Grabbing a hold of something, Arthur's back hit the ground with a yelp. His head hit a sharp corner, and blankets fell on top of him. An alarm clock rang from above, and Arthur groggily sat up from his blanket cocoon. He winced at the sunlight pouring through the curtains. Maybe he had one too many pints of Gin last night. Still the alarm rang, and Arthur turned to glare at the offending device before slamming the button to make it shut up. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, then stretched the rest of his sleepiness away. He tried not to fall over as he stood from the ground with blankets wrapped tightly around his legs. Falling out of bed is a horrible way to begin one's morning. Arthur stumbled over to his borrowed dresser, picking out his clothing for that day. He then made is way over to his in-room bathroom and began his morning routine.

Once finished, Arthur casually strolled downstairs where he was instantly greeted by the scent of freshly made waffles and maple syrup. He entered the dining room, made himself a cup of tea, then grabbed a waffle and sat at his usual place at a small table by the front window. He had been staying at this small Bed & Breakfast for a few weeks now, which was a lot longer than most guests. He presumed that he should start looking for an apartment to call his own soon.

"Mornin' Arthur!" Arthur glanced up from his breakfast at the sound of the owner's nineteen year old daughter pulling up a seat across from him.

"Good morning, Amelia." Arthur greeted between sips of tea.

Amelia grinned, and placed her chin in her hands with her elbows on the table. "Did ya sleep well? I bet you dreamed of me."

Arthur luckily stopped himself from choking on his tea. By now he was almost used to the young girl flirting with him, unaware of how much older than her Arthur really was. "Ah... Actually, I think I had a bit of a nightmare last night. But yes, you were in it... in a way..."

"A nightmare?" Amelia gasped, eyes widening in interest. "Now I hope nothin' too bad happened to me. Of course, I bet you went an' saved me like one of those fairy tale knights!"

"Ahh... Yes, well..." Arthur nervously trailed off. He took a moment to actually study Amelia's face. He supposed she was very pretty, bright blue eyes and cherry red lips. Her wavy strawberry blonde hair rested neatly against her jawline with two star shaped hair pins keeping strands out of her eyes. Perhaps Arthur might have been attracted to her if she were like him. "I guess I did try to find you, and your father. However I'm afraid I woke up before I could reach either of you."

Amelia clicked her tongue, then let out a dreamy sigh. "Well that's too bad. Tell me more?"

"God damnit, Amelia, leave the man alone!" The pair were interrupted by an older gentleman, Mr. Sam Jones, Amelia's father. Mr. Jones gave Amelia a stern glare, "He don't appreciate you flirtin' with him, An' I need you to do your job. Now get!" Amelia scurried away, but not before sticking her tongue out at her father behind his back. Arthur stifled a chuckle at the act.

"Thank you, Mr. Jones. To be honest, I don't remember much about that nightmare."

"Not a problem, Sonny. She can be a real handful at times." Mr. Jones opened his jacket and pulled an envelope from its inner pocket. "Ya got a new job by the looks of it." He handed the sealed letter to Arthur.

"Ah. Thank you again." Arthur quickly opened the envelope, unfolding the paper inside. "I'll be looking for my own place soon, so I wont be in your hair for much longer."

"Oh don't you worry 'bout us, Artie. Take yer time. We like yer company very much." Arthur hummed at the nickname, then scanned the contents of his letter. Mr. Jones hung over his shoulder, expectantly. "That another ghost thingy?"

"So it seems." Arthur stuffed the letter into his own pocket, then finished off his tea. "I should get to this right away. Again, Thank you Mr. Jones." With that, Arthur bowed his head to his host, returned his dirty dishes to the kitchen, then left for the location enclosed in the envelope.

Arthur arrived shortly before noon. The Elementary school building would have been filled with students right now had it been a weekday. Luckily for Arthur, it seemed he was alone. The staff had been informed to stay away today, a detail revealed to him just before his arrival on the site when he met with the principal and been given a set of keys. Without wasting any more time, Arthur stepped up to the front doors, and slipped in the key. Once granted access, Arthur closed the large metal doors behind him, and his job officially began.

According to the principal, Arthur's target was a young child, usually causing mischief around the school's gymnasium. Arthur followed the principal's directions, down a staircase and through zig zag hall ways, until he finally met the large, obnoxiously orange doors of the gym. He slipped inside, and took a good look at his surroundings.

The room was enormous, with various lines on the ground marking out different playing fields. The walls were padded in various locations, and a large climbing rope clung to the ceiling. On the opposite wall was a door which Arthur could only guess was the gym teacher's office. And in front of that door...

A small boy. The boy was pale, with ash blonde hair. He sat in a fetal position with his arms draped across his knees and a light pink scarf hiding his nose. Arthur slowly walked up to the child, and as he did the air began to chill. Slightly above where the boy sat, Arthur noticed a plaque with a name. In memory of...

"Is that your name, there? Ivan Braginsky?" Arthur watched the boy tense and look up at him. His blue eyes, which had an unnatural violent tint, widened in shock.

"E-excuse me? Did... you just speak to me?" The boy shook his head in disbelief, "No one ever speaks to me..."

"Yes, I did, and I'm sorry to hear that." Arthur sat near the boy, who watched him intently. "My name is Arthur Kirkland. You can just call me Arthur."

"I-Ivan... Braginsky, yeah that's me..." The boy shrank into his scarf once more, however his gaze never left Arthur.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ivan." Arthur smiled, "What are you doing here, of all places, on a Saturday?"

Ivan fidgeted with the ends of his scarf, "I'm always here. I don't leave."

"You don't have a family to go home to? I'm sure they're worried."

"Nat comes to visit." Ivan gazed up to the ceiling, "But she's been coming less often lately."

"Who is Nat?"

Ivan's eyes glanced over to Arthur, then back to the ceiling. "Natalia is my little sister. Although... Now she's my big sister I think? She got older. I didn't."

Arthur rest his head against the wall, "Do you know why she got older and you didn't?"

"I'm dead." Ivan turned to face Arthur fully. "Right? That's why my name is on that metal thingy up there." Ivan pointed to the plaque above. "And why no one talks to me, not even Nat. They can't see me, right?"

Arthur's jaw slackened. Usually children never understood what happened to them before Arthur could explain it. "That's right. Would... you mind me asking you a few questions, Ivan?"

"Yeah okay. But you have to answer my questions too." Ivan's eyes brightened, and he scooted closer to Arthur. "It'll be like a game! I haven't played with anyone in forever!"

"Alright," Arthur grinned at Ivan's enthusiasm. "Would you like to ask first, or shall I?"

Ivan hummed in thought for a moment before deciding, "You can go first."

"Okay, I'll start off simple. How old are you?"

Ivan opened his mouth to answer, then paused and furrowed his brows, "Uh... Do you mean like... How old I was when I died? Or how old I would be now? Because I don't know the answer to the second one..."

"When you died." Arthur clarified, awestruck. Now he really hoped to gain as much information from Ivan as he could.

"Oh, okay! I was ten. In fifth grade." Ivan shifted where he sat, "So how come you can see me?"

"Starting out with the difficult ones right off the bat, I see." Arthur chuckled. "Well, that's a bit complicated, and not many would believe me. But I suppose you would, considering..." Arthur arched a brow towards the eager child, who nodded excitedly. "I'm not human."

"What? What do you mean you're not human? You look human to me. What are you then?"

"Ah ah. My turn, Ivan."

"Oh. Okay."

"This might be a bit too personal, and you don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable, but how did you die?"

Ivan's eyes glossed over, and he glared in the direction of the office door, "Coach Winter. He did something bad to Nat, so I tried to stop him." Arthur shivered as the area around Ivan cooled down even more. The boy's soft voice turned to an intimidating monotone, "I _hate_ him. But Nat says he's in jail now, and he wont be getting out. That's good." In an instant, Ivan reverted back to his bright, innocent demeanor. "So what do you mean that you're not human?"

"Uh..." Arthur stumbled, completely caught off guard by the boy's sudden change. "Well, I'm what you would call a Mage. We look similar to humans, and we have to eat and sleep just like they do, but we can use magic and live a lot longer."

Ivan's nearly bounced with excitement. "That's so cool! You're like a wizard, then? Yao talked about wizards and dragons all the time. He'd be so jealous to find out I met one for real!" Ivan paused, then gasped. "Oh I know what I'm going to ask you next!"

Arthur chuckled before continuing with his own question. "Now, again, you don't have to answer. What did Coach Winter do to you and Natalia?"

Ivan stilled and frowned. He looked to the ground, then scooted even closer to Arthur. "He touched Nat in bad places. I found out, and tried save her. He got really really really mad and slammed me against the wall. Right there." Ivan pointed to the door frame. "I hit my head really hard. That's all I remember."

"I'm so sorry, Ivan." Arthur awkwardly tried to comfort the boy, but had to return his arms to his side instead of hugging him.

Ivan shrugged, then asked his next question. "If you live a lot longer than humans, then how old are you?"

"Five hundred eighty-seven."

"That's OLD!" Ivan exclaimed. "No way. You look like you're the same age as Nat now."

"I have a friend who is much older than I am." Arthur leaned forward with his chin in his hand, "I look like Nat? I suppose that makes her to be in her mid-to-late-twenties." Arthur wondered aloud. "What do you do when she visits you?"

"Nothing, really. Usually she just stares at my corner and sometimes cries. Every now and then she brings flowers, but the cust...custo...uhh..." Ivan frowned, "Sorry, I forgot the word... The janitor doesn't like that." Ivan unfolded his legs, leaning back on his arms. "Kat used to come with her, but she stopped coming a while ago." Ivan let out a sigh, "So, what happens when people die? I mean, I know ghosts are real, obviously. But does everyone turn into a ghost like me?"

"Hmm...Not all the time. Usually spirits move on, and each person's afterlife is different. Some are reborn into new lives, others don't and just rest. A ghost forms when someone dies, but can't let go of something, or they have business they still need to take care of." Arthur carefully watched for Ivan's reaction.

The boy looked at Arthur with a hint of worry. "Then why am I here? Is it Nat? Do I need to talk to her? But I can't! I've tried!"

"Calm down, Ivan." Arthur turned to face Ivan full on, "I don't know why you're here, but I'm going to help you figure it out, alright?"

"Ivan?" A new voice echoed through the room. Arthur turned to to voice, finding a beautiful young woman with a white bow in her long, pale blond hair. She stood in the entry way to the gym, staring at Arthur with a look of confusion. "Did you just say Ivan?"

"Nat." A small gasp sounded beside him. Ivan had crawled to sit directly next to and ducking behind Arthur. The woman's heels clicked as she marched towards Arthur with purpose in her step.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She demanded, "And why are you speaking my big brother's name?"

"Uhh..." Arthur stuttered, dumbfounded. No one was supposed to be here today, and yet now he was confronted with the sister of his assignment.

"Can you see him?" The woman almost whispered as she came to a halt just in front of Arthur. "Answer me."

"I... Yes, I can see him." Arthur nervously replied. Natalia was a lot more intimidating than he had imagined. He glanced to his side where Ivan sat, staring at his sister.

Natalia caught the notion, also looking to his side. "Is he right there? I always knew he was here. I could feel it." She gently tucked in her pencil skirt as she knelt down in front of the space Ivan occupied. "Vanya, I'm here."

"Nat! I miss you!" Arthur was taken aback by the emotion behind Ivan's small voice. The boy turned to Arthur once more, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Arthur, tell her! She can't hear me, right?"

"Oh, I suppose you're right." Natalia gave Arthur a confused look. He faced Natalia, then gestured towards Ivan. "He says he misses you."

Natalia bit her lip in attempt to keep herself calm. "That's not fair that you can see and hear him, but I can't."  
"I'm sorry, Natalia."

"Do not..." Natalia raised a hand and shook her head. "Just... Help us? I... Please, tell me what he says?"

Arthur spent the next couple hours acting as a translator of sorts, helping the siblings communicate with each other. Uncomfortable moments passed, full of emotion and tears. A few frustrated outbursts from Natalia, and multiple apologies from Ivan. Eventually, the conversations died down, and awkward silence filled the void.

Arthur shifted to give relief to his foot, which had fallen asleep some time before. "You'll help him, correct?" Arthur glanced up towards Natalia, who was staring at him intently. "To... move on?"

Arthur cleared his throat, "Ah, yes. That was my plan. I'll figure out what is keeping him here and then..." Arthur trailed off with furrowed brows as he looked back towards Ivan. The boy was smiling with hands on his cheeks... and most importantly...

"What? And then what?" Natalia probed for information.

"He's... fading." Arthur smiled, then faced Natalia once more. "I think this is what he needed after all."

"Thank you, Arthur." Ivan's soft voice piped up. Arthur turned back to his side, and Ivan was gone. The room warmed slightly, and the two members of the living faced each other.

A few more moments of silence passed before Natalia spoke up. "So he is gone?"

"Correct. He moved on. He just needed to speak with you it seems." Natalia quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve before nodding in understanding.

"I see. And you do this often? Help spirits, I mean?"

"More often, recently it seems. This town has a surprising amount of trapped souls, so my services have been in demand."

Natalia nodded again, then placed a hand on her chin in thought. "I would like to buy you a cup of coffee. As a thanks for helping my big brother."

"Ah, That's quite alright. I'm not much of a coffee drinker..."

"Tea then? Or perhaps dinner? I insist." Arthur sighed in defeat. Natalia seemed to be determined, and if Arthur had discovered one thing, it was that Natalia always got her way.

"Very well. When and where?"

"Tomorrow evening? I have a meeting soon, so I can't tonight." She pulled a pen and small pad of paper out of her purse and scribbled an address down before handing the paper to Arthur. "Please be there. I... May have another job for you."


	3. Chapter 2

Arthur found himself sitting at a small table in a dimly lit Italian restaurant, which was mostly filled with couples staring lovingly at each other. Natalia had apparently called and made a reservation after the two had parted the day before, and when Arthur arrived asking for her, the host wished him luck with his date. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose with embarrassment. If Ivan had not heard of Mages, then surely Natalia was not one herself. Romantic relationships with Humans were never a good idea, and Arthur hoped she didn't expect anything of the sort from him. This must be her favorite restaurant is all, surely. Definitely. Hopefully...

Arthur's thoughts were interrupted when the host came back, Natalia in tow. The man gave a slight bow of the head and wished them a lovely meal before returning to his post at the front. Natalia smiled in greeting, then sat down across from Arthur. She wore a similar outfit to the one yesterday, pin stripe pencil skirt with a button up shirt and vest. Her long hair was pulled up into a bun, tied together with the white bow from before.

"My apologies for being late, Arthur. Today's meeting ran a bit longer than expected."

"Not a problem, Natalia. I was running a tad late myself, so I wasn't here for long." Natalia nodded with a small grin at Arthur's response, placing a napkin in her lap.

"Have you looked over the menu? The tomato-basil soup is one of my favorites."

"I have," Arthur lied, picking the menu up for the first time and quickly flipping to a random page. "I was thinking a salad..."

Natalia frowned, giving Arthur a disappointed look. "The salad is the only thing here that could use some work. Their specialty is pasta, the best in town."

"Ah..." Arthur stumbled, "Then perhaps I'll try the pesto tortellini...?" Arthur glanced up to see Natalia's nod of approval. He sighed with relief, then placed the menu down in time for their waiter to walk up.

"Nat! You have a guest today!" Their waiter was a young man, about the same age as Natalia. He had brown shoulder-length hair which was pulled back in a small pony tail, and olive green eyes.

"Indeed I do, Toris. This is Arthur. He's helping me out with a work related problem." Natalia introduced him. Arthur shook Toris' extended hand, overwhelmed with relief. Natalia was a regular here, so it must be her favorite place after all. Nothing special.

"Pleasure to meet you, Arthur. I'm Toris Laurinaitis, and I'll take care of you guys today. Can I get you anything to drink now?"

"The usual, please. Are you ready to order, Arthur?"

"Ah, yes..." Arthur repeated his order to Toris, who nodded without writing it down. Toris

assured them their food would be out as soon as possible, then scurried away with a skip in his step. Natalia sighed as he left, watching him with her chin in hand.

Arthur cleared his throat to catch her attention. "So what was that about a work related problem?"

Natalia gave him a deer-in-headlights look, then quickly sat up straight. "Ah, yes. I mentioned before that I might have another job for you." Arthur nodded in confirmation, and Natalia continued. "I work in the executive offices at a local construction company..." Natalia paused as Toris returned with their drinks. She smiled to thank him, then continued after he left once more. "We've recently been contracted to demolish and rebuild a building which has been abandoned for about..." She took a moment to think, "Six years now."

Arthur took a sip from his water, then placed it back down, "And I suppose there is a ghost there? Which is what you need me for?"

Natalia gave him a concerned glance. "To be honest, I don't know. I've been reluctant to sign off on the assignment because I have personal history with the building." She reached down and pulled a manila envelope from her bag, then handed it to Arthur. "These are the details concerning the building. The owner was a man named Francis Bonnefoy. It was a lovely French restaurant in which Francis poured his heart and soul into." Arthur examined the envelope curiously before carefully opening it and removing several documents. Among the documents was a photograph of the restaurant in question, before, during, and after a large fire which seemed to be the cause of its closing. Arthur flipped through more pages until he stopped at a picture of a handsome man with long blond hair, standing in front of the restaurant with a toddler on his hip.

"How many died?" Arthur looked up to meet Natalia's gaze.

"Just one. Only Francis. He..." Natalia took a deep, shuddering breath, "My big brother isn't the only person to die trying to save me."

Arthur quickly connected the dots,"You were there?"

"I worked there part time during my final year of high school. I was on shift when the fire started. Francis wasn't even supposed to be there that day. It should have been me who died, but Francis saved me."

"And you think he might still be there?"

Natalia bit her lower lip. "That might be a possibility. I do not want to sign off on the demolishing if he is. I owe him at least that much. What would happen to him then?"

"Normally when a ghost's home is destroyed, they become distraught and begin the transition into a malicious poltergeist. I'm afraid at that point, they can't move on, and must be exorcised." Arthur carefully returned the documents to their envelope and handed them back to Natalia. "And if that happens, I will be of little use. I would have to call in my old friend, Vladimir, to take care of it."

Natalia stared at the envelope before handing it back. "Keep this, it might come in handy. Now I'm sure that I need your services. Please find out if Francis is there, and help him like you did with my Vanya."

Arthur accepted the envelope, tucking it behind him in his chair. "I'll do my best, Natalia."

"How much would I owe you?"

Arthur watched Natalia remove a checkbook and pen from her bag. "Ahh... Nothing."

"Nothing?" Natalia furrowed her brows. "I don't understand. I'm hiring you, so I should pay you."

"And you're not certain if Francis is even there. I can't take your money without there being an actual spirit to work with."

"I see." Natalia nodded in understanding. "Thank you." She returned her checkbook to her bag right as Toris came along with their meals. Arthur noticed Natalia smiling at Toris as they exchanged a quick inside joke, or it must have been an inside joke as Arthur couldn't tell why licking a boat would be funny. Toris gave a slight wave as he returned to work, and Natalia stared after him once more.

"Do we have a bit of a crush on him?" Arthur teasingly inquired as he unwrapped his utensils from his napkin and placed the fabric onto his lap.

Natalia's attention snapped back to Arthur, a bright blush staining her face. "Keep quiet!" She snapped, then placed a hand over her mouth. "Sorry."

Arthur chuckled, now completely certain he was correct and had nothing to worry about. "I'm surprised you picked this place then. You do realize it looks like we're on a date, correct?"

Natalia bit her lip, then sighed. "I know. I apologize, but that was my intent. Toris has been my best friend since high school, and I've liked him for a while. But he's so dense!" Natalia placed her forehead in her hand, "I was hoping to make him jealous. Childish, I know... And it doesn't seem to be working..."

"Men can be quite thick-headed at times." Arthur nodded knowingly.

"They can be! And then there was this rumor floating around recently that he was gay. One would think I would know that if it were true, right?"

"You never know. Not everyone fits stereotypes."

Natalia paused, then sighed again. "I suppose you are correct. He is awfully close to Felix, and there's no doubt there. He's very vocal about his sexuality."

The rest of their meal continued with various topics, none too interesting to Arthur, who mostly let Natalia vent about her failures at flirting with Toris. Once plates were cleared, a different employee took their dishes. Toris eventually made his round back to them, apologizing for the delay. He dropped off their check, to which Arthur slipped him his own debit card with a wink, causing the man to blush slightly. When Natalia found out, she grumbled about how she was supposed to be the one to pay, but ultimately let it slide.

Later that evening, Arthur found himself sitting at his usual spot at the Jones' Bed & Breakfast, a cup of tea in hand. He proceeded to flip through the documents Natalia gave him in preparation for possibly meeting Francis the next day.

"Hey there, sugar." Arthur glanced up from his reading to find Amelia leaning on the opposite end of his table.

"Hello, Amelia. Are you off work now?"

"Yeah, yeah. Old man said he'd finish cleanin' up himself." She waved a dismissive hand, "What'cha got there?"

Arthur hummed, then set his tea cup down. "Details about my next job."

Amelia visibly shuddered at the response, "I can't stand ghosts. I don't know how ya do it, Artie."

Arthur shrugged, amused that the brave Amelia had a fear of ghosts. "They're not that bad."

"Whatever you say, love." Amelia absentmindedly reached for one of the documents. Arthur didn't mind, as Natalia didn't mention any of the information being classified. Without warning, Amelia stood, paper still gripped tightly. She furrowed her brows, then stared at Arthur as if he had grown an extra head. "Arthur what is this?"

Arthur's eyes shifted from Amelia to the paper in her hand, and back again. "Just as I said. My next job. Is there a problem?"

"Oh yeah. A big problem." Amelia quickly gathered the other documents, "You can not let father see you with these." Arthur arched a brow at Amelia's sudden concern for proper enunciation.

"May I ask why?"

Amelia stopped what she was doing to stare at Arthur. She then shifted through the documents until she found her previously held paper. She handed it to Arthur, then leaned over his shoulder to point. "This right here." Arthur curiously read the passage in question, but Amelia read it out loud. "Name: Francis Bonnefoy," Arthur was impressed by her correct pronunciation of the French surname, "Spouse: Alice Bonnefoy, deceased." Amelia paused, and returned to her seat across from Arthur.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand the significance."

Amelia nervously checked their surroundings, then sighed. "Father hates the Bonnefoy name. I don't know why, some feud that began long before I was born. But his hatred grew because Francis took Alice."

"He... took her?" Arthur asked, still not understanding.

Amelia nodded. "That's how father describes it, at least. I was real young, so I don't remember much. All I know is he disowned her after the weddin'. See, Alice is my older sister."


End file.
